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Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle applauds the
actions of the 2014 Florida Legislature for passing the additional Human
Trafficking legislation she had proposed during her interactions with members
of the Florida House and the Florida Senate.
“I am very proud of how responsive our Florida Legislature has been to
the needs of Human Trafficking victims,” said Miami-Dade State Attorney
Katherine Fernandez Rundle. “They have
seen the need to come down hard on those who would sell the childhood of our
victims while recognizing the special steps it may require to rebuild the
future of these victims.” Several of the criminal cases filed by my Human
Trafficking Task Force contained conduct that so shocked our legislators (such
as the “branding” via tattooing of young girls and the use of a 13 year old girl
at a “strip club”) that specific prohibitions and requirements were created.

Among the accomplishments of the new legislation will be the
prohibition on the employment of minors in adult theaters and “strip clubs”;
the requirement that adult theaters and “strip clubs” verify the ages of
employees and their independent contractors and maintain documentation of that
proof; a revision of some of the penalties for various human trafficking
offenses which can make a convicted repeat offender eligible for as much as a
life sentence. The legislation also
provides sentence enhancements for the “branding” via tattooing of Human Trafficking
victims while adding privacy protections to the victims of Human Trafficking by
exempting information that reveals their identity of a victim similar to the
protections given to the victims of sexual assaults. Additionally, the Legislature provided Human
Trafficking victims with access to Victims Crimes Compensation funds which also
provide these victims a vehicle for possible relocation assistance.

The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office
and the Miami-Dade Police Department have undertaken an action that has led to
the arrest of Raul Fernandez a/k/a “Freaky”, the prime operator of an illegal
slaughterhouse located in unincorporated Miami-Dade County.

The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office and the
Miami-Dade Police Department became aware of a site operating within Miami-Dade
County that was illegally slaughtering animals, and was doing so in a cruel and
painful manner. Undercover videos were taken on December 24, 2013 and on
December 30, 2013. Witnesses to these incidents saw the shooting, stabbing,
gutting while alive of animals, beating, sledge-hammering to the head, dragging
by mouth, and other cruel behavior to which the animals were subjected. On video
surveillance, a pig can be seen being dragged, hook-mouthed through the jaw, at
distances of approximately 150 feet, all while the animal remained alive. Raul Fernandez is charged with 7 counts of
Animal Cruelty which are third degree felonies.
The
investigation of this case continues.

“When the Florida Legislature created
the animal cruelty statute, they intended to end such brutal activities as were
occurring at this illegal slaughterhouse,” commented Miami-Dade State Attorney
Katherine Fernandez Rundle. “No
legitimate slaughterhouse operator or any self-respecting farmer would treat
his livestock in such a ghastly manner.”

23
individuals have been charged as a result of a joint investigation by the
Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office and the Miami-Dade County Police
Department and additional police agencies which included police activity as far
north as the Orlando area. Today, police
were arresting all the members of this organized crime enterprise, from the
shoplifting thieves through the various levels of middleman fences to the final
retailer fences who sold the stolen goods to the unsuspecting public. This
organization is estimated to have stolen some $15 million of merchandise.

A press conference detailing
the arrests will be held at 2:00 p.m. In Room 418-S of the Miami-Dade State
Attorney’s Office. Also participating in
today’s press conference will be the Miami-Dade
County Police Department, Sheriff Jerry Demings of
Orange County, representatives
of the City Of
Doral Police Department, representatives
of the Broward County Sheriff’s Office, representatives of Homeland Security Investigations, representatives of Walgreens
Pharmacy, representatives of CVS
Pharmacy, representatives of Publix
Supermarkets. The Office of the State Attorney is in the E.
R. Graham building located at 1350 NW 12th Avenue, Miami. Please arrive early enough to obtain
security clearance through the building’s security review process.

The
Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement
announce the charging of Imer Armando Perez with 3 counts of Practicing Law
Without a License and with Grand Theft 2nd Degree and Grand Theft 3rd
Degree resulting from his actions in holding himself out as an attorney and
taking cash for supposed legal activities.

In
one incident, the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s office received, and forwarded to
the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), a retainer agreement between Imer
Armando Perez and the family of convicted felon Scotty Posada. Perez collected a total of $70,000 from
Posada’s mother to gain the “guaranteed” release of Posada from state prison
prior to the expiration of his 27 year sentence. In reality, there are no legal actions
pending before any court that would allow/facilitate such a release.

In
another incident, Imer Armando Perez, holding himself out to be an attorney,
represented an individual in traffic court for a $500 fee. In a third incident, Perez approached an
individual and offered his legal services as an attorney for a non-refundable
$20,000 fee.

“It
is always a shameful act when swindlers walk the halls of our courthouse taking
advantage of individuals in need,” commented Miami-Dade State Attorney
Katherine Fernandez Rundle. “Guaranteeing
a legal result, irrelevant of the existing evidence, is the surest sign that
some sort of trickery is at play. Don’t
be a victim of a scam. If you have any concerns about your legal
representation, you can always check a lawyer’s status with the Florida Bar.”

There
appear to be indications that Imer Armando Perez may be a fugitive. If anyone
knows the specific whereabouts of Imer Armando Perez or if others victimized by
Perez wish to come forward, they may contact FDLE Special Agent Raul E. Perez at
786-336-1167

“Gigi’s Rescue” Kept Animals in Squalid Warehouse

Miami
(April 17, 2014) – A joint investigation undertaken by the Hialeah Police
Department and the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office has led to the charging
of Gisela Tacao with 53 Counts of Animal Cruelty, each count a 3rd
degree felony crime. Ms. Tacao had been
operating her pet rescue operation, Gigi’s Rescue from a warehouse located at
269 West 24th Street in Hialeah since December 2010, indirectly receiving
many dogs from the Miami-Dade Animal Services after other rescue groups
provided the animals to Gigi’s Rescue.
Complaints based on the conditions at this site (specifically dealing
with the visible presence of feces and urine throughout the building and the
resulting stench that permeated the area) and based on the poor physical
condition of the animals housed at the site (numbering anywhere between 100-200
animals), led to the eventual removal of the animals. 53 animals were given a
physical examination which resulted in the 53 criminal charges.

Bond has been set at $5,000 per
count resulting in a total Bond amount of $265,000.

“This
case is a perfect example of the old adage that the road to hell is paved with
good intentions,” commented Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez
Rundle. “These animals were living in
the worst of circumstances, sadly waiting to be rescued from their supposed rescuer.
Such neglect is not a mistake, it is a crime.”

Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle
announced that today, police officers working as a part of the State Attorney’s Office Human Trafficking
Unit, together with officers from the City of Miami Police Department SWAT
Team, North Miami Police Department, Miami-Dade County School Board Police
Department, Miami-Dade Police Department
and the FBI served a search warrant at 2100 Sans Souci Blvd, Apartment A1509, North Miami,
Florida in connection with a Human Trafficking investigation involving attempts
to lure into prostitution two high school girls. Due to concerns about possible firearms at
the premises, the City of Miami
Police Department SWAT Team became involved.
Ultimately, David Llama Lopez
(DOB 05/13/1967) peacefully surrendered and will most likely be charged with a
variety of crimes:

·Human
Trafficking (commercial sexual exploitation of a minor under 18 years of age in
violation of Florida Statute 787.06(3)(g)

·

Procuring
person under 18 years of age for prostitution in violation of Florida Statue
796.03,

·

Contributing to the Delinquency
of a Minor in violation of Florida Statue 827.04

·

and
Interference with Child Custody in violation of Florida Statute 787.03

At this moment in time, the charging process
is still ongoing.

“As a direct result of creating our Human
Trafficking Unit, our police agencies are now fully mobilized to attack the
problem of human trafficking, something that existed just below the radar for
far too long,” commented Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez
Rundle. “Those who think they can make a
living by selling our children to the highest bidders had better think
again. Our community is united with our
police departments to end this awful, awful trade.”